This week: Amanda and Martin talk to artists and gallerists at differing 2011 NY art fairs. Breaking away from the megahub of the ARMORY, we visit exemplary booths at the Manhattan â€œsatelliteâ€ shows, getting a feel for the variety within the ever growing gala.

With Voltaâ€™s one-artist-per-booth, we focus on Bradley Castellanos at MARX & ZAVATERRO with his ominous photomontages. Kimberly Johansson of Oaklandâ€™s Johansson Projects introduces us to Jennie OTTINGER and her lively novel-inspired pieces before a surprise by a mock art tour.

The SCOPE fair finds interviewing in a bodega cooler typical of the art installed by artist Andrew Ohanesian. At SPINELLO PROJECTS we meet with featured artist Barnaby Whitfield and Paul Bruno of DIRTY MAGAZINE. Bruce Livingstone and Peter Teodoric talk about the SAATCHI ONLINE project.

On the Hudson Riverâ€™s panhandle barge, Tom Burtonwood of WHAT IT IS captures the boisterous atmosphere of the floating FOUNTAIN fair.

The party continues with Amanda speaking with Hudson of FEATURE INC. at INDEPENDENT fairâ€™s second year after itsâ€™ upstart inauguration.

BYOB (Bring your own Beamer): “We take down the Infoporn II exhibition and leave the gallery walls blank for use in Chicagoâ€™s first Bring Your Own Beamer (BYOB) event. BYOB is a series of exhibitions hosting artists and their projectors. Started by Berlin-based RafaâˆšÂ´l Rozendaal, we are excited to host the Chicago version during SMF9. Please show up with a projection source and a projector.”

Takashi Murakami at the ChÃ¢teau de Versailles Takashi Murakami’s new exhibit in Versailles has recently opened (closes December 12th if you are of the jet set type) and from what I have heard and seen it is a show not to be missed if for no other reason then it’s striking contrast andÂ humorousÂ seemingly paradoxicalÂ existence. read more here

InauguralÂ Art Loop Open Competition BeginsFrom October 15-29, Art Loop Openâ€”Chicagoâ€™s new art competition (presented by the Chicago LoopÂ Alliance)â€”will transform ten venues throughout Chicagoâ€™s Loop into interactive public art exhibits (200 artists in total) having the public voting on the winner with 1stÂ receivingÂ $25,000 2nd: $15,000 & 3rd: $10,000. It looks to be a fun and smart program to engage the general public (which I still think we could do oh so much more in terms of) but sadly haven’t given it much promotion due to not knowing exactly how to aproach it. I will be looking forward to seeing how it plays out and more so to year two.

From what i canÂ gleamÂ the jury process was pretty solid and most of the artists involved I have either seen, worked with, known or interviewed so I wish them all good luck and more so remind them to forget the prizes this is a greatÂ opportunityÂ to rewrite the image of the Chicago artist with the general public so in short “don’t be obtuse, rude, impatient or a douche” also Check out Tom Burtonwood and Pamela M Johnson’s work here & here respectively. Read more here

Banksy does the TitleÂ SequenceÂ to the Simpsons

Interesting Video on How Printing Ink is MadeHaving been a child in the heyday of Mister Rogers’Â Neighborhood I grew up with a love of lilting jazz music & seeing how everyday items are made (plus hand puppets but thats private) so it’s interesting to watch just how what I spend most of my money & art career touching plus half of my business career fighting with is made. watch it here

Race & Ethnicity Mapped By BlockAs a footer for this week there is a visual map done by Bill Rankin using dots to show the more subtle changes across neighborhoods in ChicagoÂ using block-specific US Census data.Â Called a “taxonomy of transitions” it is quite interesting both visually and mentally but then again I am a data & logistics wonk so might just be me.Â read more here or even read about music preferences on Last.fm by gender hereif you are so brave.

Sorry for the missed week, I was rocking out in the lovely and exhausting Yosemite, climbing waterfalls, almost falling to my death (I shit you not, and it was completely my fault), looking at Pileated Woodpeckers (the Woody Woodpecker ones), drinking lots of Tecate and burning lots and lots of firewood. But now I’m back. It’s getting into that summer session, where things get lean. But as always quantity does not indicate quality, and following that, I give you my weekend picks. Mmmm, tasty!

How long has it been since you visited Lloyd Dobler Gallery? It’s been a while for me, so I’m heading back to one of the first galleries I visited in Chicago, and still one of my favorites.Solo show of Sebastian Vallejo.